1955 Ford F-100 - Old Memories Can Shape Your Future

It's amazing how much influence old memories have on our present, and future. Roger Hogan, of Farmington, Missouri, remembers very clearly the day his father brought home the family's brand-new '53 F-100. Now 63 years old, the image is still fresh in Roger's mind. When it came time to create his own custom he scoured the country looking for a truck similar to the one he remembered as a child. Locating a '55 F-100 in 1990, he had it shipped from California to his home. Without a lot of experience in restoring old trucks, Roger was fortunate to have a good friend in Dick Lux, an enthusiast who Roger describes as a walking encyclopedia of old trucks. Dick worked with Roger and his son Lance, guiding them through a complete disassembly, teaching them about bodywork, and educating them on the ins and outs of rebuilding a vintage truck. The process was a lengthy one, taking about three years to complete.

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Needing a break from the rebuild process, they decided to attend the F-100 Supernationals show in 2000. The magazine coverage of the event was exciting to read but attending the event itself was a unique experience. The following year they drove their truck to the show and were pleased when they won a class trophy. There was an unexpected byproduct from the trip, however. Roger was so impressed with the trucks on display that he went home, disassembled the truck, and sold the chassis for parts!

The second rebuild of the truck began with a new frame, boxed, welded, smoothed, and painted by Jim Barton and Tim Patton. Touring the local salvage yard, Roger found a 32-valve, 4.6L DOHC Lincoln Mk VIII aluminum engine and transmission, the perfect new powerplant to rejuvenate the Ford. With a little help from Rick Berry and the experts at Street and Performance, the engine was reprogrammed and installed in the new frame.

3/13The tilt bed is fitted with a set of staggered-sized taillights that use high-intensity LEDs for both a custom touch and improved visibility.

Work on the interior began with a custom bench seat, upholstered in red and black Ultraleather by Mike Roth Upholstery in Perryville, Missouri. The dash holds a set of white Auto Meter gauges, a Vintage Air A/C unit, and a Kenwood stereo. The custom steering column holds a leather-wrapped Vintec steering wheel by Billet Specialties.

Body mods were next and Roger had several unique ideas in mind. He found a tilt rack for the bed and decided to further showcase the polished and chromed suspension by fitting the bed with a Lexan floor. A custom roll pan with six LED taillights was added from Mid Fifty F-100s. They also supplied the forward-tilt kit for the hood. The custom grille and bumpers were fabricated by Terry Altman's Trique Mfg. in Russellville, Arkansas. Inspired by Roger's memory of a red and black '57 Ford Retractable Hardtop, a special mix of DuPont black over red was sprayed by John's Auto Body and Paint in Imperial, Missouri. Owner John Riehn separated the shades with distinctive silver and gold graphics.

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Here's the best part of the story. When Roger, Carolyn, and Lance returned to the 2010 F-100 Supernationals in Pigeon Forge this year their '55 won more than just another class trophy. With more than 900 vehicles at the event, their custom F-100 was singled out and captured the Truck of the Year trophy! Apparently, old memories really can shape your future!